Tell me if you have heard this story before:
A rural, low income, primarily White county that voted for Donald Trump by over 70 points in 2024 is being hurt by many of his policies and is still largely in denial.
Leopards, grab a fork and knife, because this one is a doozy.
CNN reports that one very small down (about 200 people!) lost its only health clinic. Churchville, Virginia, lost their town doctor. The clinic was run by Augusta Medical Group and actually attributed their closure to Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act." In fact, they closed not only the Churchville location, but two others! That is 3 communities losing their healthcare.
A 56-year old resident who has asthma - and voted for Donald Trump - is deep in the Finding Out Phase. She told CNN “I’ve called around trying to find a replacement, a new doctor, and for just a well-being appointment, the soonest is the end of January.”
Oops.
A Harris voter literally whispered to the reporter to tell them that she voted for Kamala Harris and now has to drive "over an hour to visit her doctors in Charlottesville."
A coffee shop in town still has a huge banner hanging in its front window that says “Thank you, Trump, Save America Again.”
SNORT.
Save from WHO exactly? Who is invading rural Virginia?
Clinic closures will definitely hit Republican voters hard, but can Democrats capitalize on this before the 2026 midterms? And will voters even care? Between lack of access to needed care and the shocking increase to health insurance costs hitting any day now, it may be the jolt that older, rural voters need to break the trance. Or at least, loosen the hold that the MAGA cult has on them.
Just kidding. The cult never fully breaks away. They just die off.
FAFO.
